Swimming in the ocean off Northern California was formerly an event reserved for a hardy few. This past August, however, temperatures soared past the normal 50°F to 67°F in some places, an apparent effect of El Niño, a periodic upwelling of warm water in the Pacific.
Fish normally seen in more tropical locationssunfish, albacore tuna, and mahi-mahiwere being caught in the stretch of water between San Francisco and the Farallon Islands.
